Allstate May be Peeking In As You Drive

November 19, 2015

There's no doubt that distracted driving is responsible for many car accidents.  Everything from texting, changing the entertainment source on the car radio, trying to calm a frazzled toddler, or even enjoying a sip of that drink from the drive-through lane can take a driver's attention from where it belongs - on surrounding traffic and safely operating a car.  AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety suggests that each year 5,000 fatal car crashes can be attributed to driver distraction.

Now it seems that automobile insurance giant, Allstate, wants to peak over your shoulder and into your car to see whether you are driving while distracted.  And Allstate isn't watching just because you have insurance with that company, Allstate may be tracking your driving behavior from sensors on the vehicle next to you or behind you in traffic. 

A patent issued to Allstate in summer 2015 gives the insurer exclusive rights to a system of sensors and recorders to collect information from inside a car.  Allstate could learn whether the driver (probably an Allstate insured) is wearing a seatbelt, how many passengers are in the car, and even whether one's shopping bags are secured.  But the monitoring doesn't stop there.

Allstate's patent also envisions outward directed cameras and sensors to monitor nearby motorists and perform "traffic-based-driving analysis."   Arguably, the generated data could create an accurate description of combined weather and road conditions, including the volume and speed of traffic along with catching distracted driving behavior.

Two things are certain.  Distracted driving is dangerous and should be avoided and discouraged.  Additionally, advanced computer-based technology is and will continue to be used to examine and record what happens as we drive down the street.  If you're hurt because of someone else's distracted driving, the personal injury lawyers of Rubin Guttman & Associates are available to answer your questions and assist in obtaining fair and complete compensation - to repair your car, to cover your medical bills, and to put your life back in order.